Thursday, February 6, 2014

Prehistoric China: Yangshao Culture

China is one with the longest recorded history. They have the
narrative of their dynasties and even legendary rulers that reign over ancient
China. In archaeological perspective, China began with small cultures that
began in some regions of China. Among these cultures was the Yangshao Culture.

The Yangshao culture flourished during the
Neolithic culture of China from 5000 BCE to 3000 BCE. It was first unearth in
1921 by a Swedish archaeologist, Johan Gunnar Anderson. The name of the culture
came from a village in Northern Henan. From the digs conducted, it showed
information about the lives of ancient Chinese during the Neolithic age.

The Yangshao shows the
development of a Chinese Civilization. It developed in the central plains of
China, near the Yellow River. They had settlements build with a central plaza
surrounded by houses and a cemetery. Their housing seemed to be based on clans
or families. The shapes of the houses were sometimes square and sometimes
round. The houses were semi-subterranean. Walls were made of stamped clay and
the roofs were thatched. The house were simple because these settlements were
temporary. They were semi nomadic people. They needed to move from one place to
another because of their agricultural practices - slash-and-burn agriculture. Under
the slash-and-burn, after several harvest, if the lands seemed unfertile, they leave
the area and returning only if the lands were fertile again.

The people of the Yangshao
culture created tools, domesticated animals and cultivated plants. They already
started to cultivate wheat and millet – which was the main staple of the
Yangshao people. They were also hunters and gatherers in order to supplement
their source of food. They also engaged in fishing. Sericulture also existed. Silkworms
were cultivated produce silk for making textile for clothing, along with hemp. Domestication of wild animals
also developed. Animals such as cattle, sheep, pigs, and dogs started to be
companions of the Yangshao. They also created tools usually made of stone and pottery.
They had knives, chisels, hoes, spades and sickles for agriculture. They had
millstones for the processing of the harvested wheat and millet. Spindle whorls
were invented to make textile from the silk and hemp.

The Yangshao culture became remarkable for
its pottery. Their potteries were usually bowls, jars, urns, and water bottles,
found sometimes buried with the dead. The jars were red with colors of black
and white for the designs and motifs. The motifs that were depicted frequently showed
the nature, such as animals. It’s also commonly depicted dancers various
patterns as well.

Eventually, the Yangshao would be succeeded
by another culture from the north, the Longshan Culture. From these prehistoric
culture, ancient China would emerge. They would continue to make progress and
contribute to the building of the modern world.